Wall Street Journal: "How Pope Francis Became the Leader of the Global Left"

When Pope Francis delivers his Christmas message this weekend, he will do so not just as the head of the Catholic Church but as the improbable standard-bearer for many progressives around the world.

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Yet the pope’s support for some liberal causes, rooted in traditional Christian concern for the poor and defenseless, has meant joining forces with some partners who reject major Catholic moral teachings. Critics also say that the church’s leader shouldn’t take such strong stands on political questions about which Catholics are allowed to have a range of views.

Francis Rocca, the article's author, was right in his prediction: in his Christmas Message the Pope, once again, railed against anything that is traditional or stable -- his sternest critics are simply diabolical, "when the devil inspires ill intentions."